Brian Billick

Can you imagine Ray Lewis as a wrestler? No, not that kind of wrestler. I'm talking about the feud-starting, piledriver-ing, leather-vest-wearing kind of wrestler. Of course you can imagine Ray Lewis as a wrestler. His pregame "squirrel" dance might as well have been an audition tape for WWE. He spoke as if Vince McMahon was spoonfeeding him lines, then lacing the words with 5-Hour Energy. So when Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, former WWE star and the face of HBO's new "Ballers" show, came on "The Dan Patrick Show" on Friday to chat about his glory days on the mat, it was interesting to hear him mention the retired linebacker as a...

As the 2000 Ravens embraced their defensive identity and a run-first offensive strategy, head coach Brian Billick -- coordinator of wide-open passing offenses in Minnesota -- joked that he'd been "pulled over to the dark side."
Almost 14...

Traded to the Detroit Lions last week in exchange for fourth- and fifth-round NFL draft picks, former Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata took out a full-page advertisement in Sunday's edition of The Baltimore Sun.
The ad included a letter from...

The Ravens moved quickly to fill their offensive coordinator vacancy, replacing Gary Kubiak with Marc Trestman, another former NFL head coach with a reputation for getting the most out of quarterbacks.
Trestman, who will become the Ravens' fourth...

If John Harbaugh follows the same script from his offensive coordinator search last offseason, expect the Ravens coach to conduct an exhaustive and far-reaching hunt for Gary Kubiak’s replacement.
But an early leading candidate already has emerged....

Perhaps it took another man who'd walked in similar shoes to appreciate the difficulties John Harbaugh navigated in this tumultuous season for the Baltimore Ravens.
Gary Kubiak was an NFL head coach for eight years before he became the Ravens'...

Ray Rice is eligible to return to the NFL after an arbitrator overturned his indefinite suspension Friday, but the former Ravens star still faces a difficult path to regaining public acceptance and persuading a team to sign him.
Former U.S. District...

Though Ray Rice is now cleared to return to the NFL, there remains lingering doubt about whether any team will be interested in a 27-year-old running back who hasn't played in a game of any significance since last December.
Several former NFL executives,...

Former Ravens coach Brian Billick always knew the explanation if he and the team's longtime general manager, Ozzie Newsome, were at odds.
It was Billick's fault.
Billick made this observation not to highlight his own fallibility but to illustrate the...

By nearly every measure, the Ravens' offense has improved dramatically from last season.
Through 10 games, the Ravens are averaging more than five points, 56 total yards and 41 rushing yards more per game than they were at this point last year. They've...

The Ravens' players and coaches returned to work Monday after their latest bye week in more than a decade.
The last time the Ravens had a bye this late was Week 13 of the 2001 regular season when Brian Billick was their coach. The Ravens are 6-4 and play...

Ravens officials spent the bye week preparing for not only next Monday night's game against the New Orleans Saints, but for the final six-game stretch that will determine whether the team makes the NFL postseason.
With a 6-4 record, the Ravens are...

In six previous seasons under John Harbaugh, the Ravens have had their bye weekend as early as Week 2 and as late as Week 8.
So for many players, who were sent home Monday afternoon by Harbaugh with orders not to return until next Monday, this week's...

Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston answers readers' questions about the Week 9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Lardarius Webb's struggle to recover from his knee injuries and more.
Before his knee injuries, Lardarius Webb was being touted as a...

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco dabbed at a small cut over his lip. Defensive end Chris Canty emerged from the training room with his hand and wrist heavily wrapped. Justin Forsett walked out of the visiting locker room at Heinz Field with a noticeable...

First, the Ravens started losing the football. Then, they lost their lead and all their momentum. And finally, they seemed to lose their composure.
They now need to act fast to prevent their season from slipping away, too.
Six touchdown passes by Ben...

I take it all back. All the complaining about CBS Sports scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of the announcers sent to small-market Baltimore for Ravens games — I take it all back.
Never did CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus go as low on the...

For play callers like the Ravens' Gary Kubiak, achieving offensive balance is an elusive pursuit, a challenging and often frustrating endeavor that prompts sleepless nights and almost constant second-guessing.
When Kubiak spoke to reporters Thursday, the...

When the University of Michigan football team lost again this weekend, NFL coaches and brothers John Harbaugh and Jim Harbaugh were quickly linked to the Wolverines. Michigan coach Brady Hoke is under fire after a 2-3 start.
An unconfirmed NFL Network...

The Ravens once again were dealt a schedule that stacks three divisional opponents in the first three games, the third time that AFC North teams occupy the first three spots on their schedule in 10 years, and the team recognizes the stakes.
A Week 1 home...